The present invention pertains to cable lugs and cable lug assemblies of the type used for mounting conductors to contact surfaces, and more particularly to flush mounting cable lug assemblies for connecting cables to flat contact surfaces, and a method for making the same.
Those cable lug assemblies presently used generally consist of a relatively flat lug plate with a cable secured to the edge thereof by welding. In straight bar lugs, the cable abuts the lug edge such that part of the cable extends above and below the bar, and the weld sleeving encasing the lug and cable extends even further giving the assembly a bulky profile so that the lug cannot be used for securing the cable to a flat contact surface because of interference between the weld sleeving and the bolting surface. Insulation around the weld sleeve further accentuates the problem.
To alleviate this problem, offset lugs have been used wherein the lug is shaped to include an offset portion at the cable end to elevate the cable and weld sleeving from the bolting surface or pad. However, such lugs still utilize the conventional type of weld wherein the cable abuts the lug along the edge thereof. Conventional offset lugs require a large amount of copper to form the lug, and a large amount of weld metal to form the sleeve. Moreover, when using an exothermic process which includes a mold to form the connection, the lug and cable are difficult properly to locate and position in the mold.